Saturday, 27 February 2010

Ha ha, the dodgy title of today's post is not the most catching and inspiring one. Still, after another week of being an OL (office Lady) I just had to write something on my dear blog, even though I do not have any exiting new news to bring.

I still want to show you one of my latest sets I am really curious about. I have read so much on Diorsnow from the famous beautybloggers online (Oh..Pretty and Fuzkitty are quite enthousiastic about it) that I jumped on the bandwagon and bought a trial set on sasa.com. I still want to try it first before I splurge on a new product, if possible.

It contains a tonic-kind lotion, a serum, a sunscreen and a powder foundation in a really matching colour.

All of these products have a high level of UV protection against the ageing sunrays...

The next powder compact with UV protection is from VOV: VOV White UV cover pact SPF 50+ in 23.

One of my commentors asked to make a mini-review of it when I posted a picture of it in this post. And yes, it fall under my title that it has UV protection, and a lot of it, according to the description: SPF 50 ++ and PA +++

It has the size of a larger mobile phone. It has a beautifully pearly white exterior. I think it looks both rather sophisticated and still fresh.

The compact has a double layer when opening. The top part contains a powder puff, so you can store your puff rather conveniently in the top part.

The lower part has the powder foundation. It looks much paler on this picture than in real life.

Colour:I picked colour no 23, which was the darkest colour of the selection (here). I found it to be the right dept of colour, however, I also find it to be a bit too yellow, as I am a neutral to cool toned Caucasian woman. Still, I like the yellowness in the foundation during the cold winter I encountered, because I had lots of redness in my face, and around the nose, so the yellowness cancelled out the redness efficiently

My colouring:I am a rather pale Caucasian woman, or, it sometimes seems that I am paler than the rest when I walk in the cosmetic store in the Netherlands, and most foundations offered always seem too dark for me.In Great Britain I seem to have more luck when I browse the cosmetic departments, as I often find that they cater for lighter skintones as well. I even find lots of foundations offered to be too light. In the Netherlands, in contrast, they only seem to cater for the slightly tanned women.

Scent:The compact has a light to medium old-fashioned powder scent, which wears off after wearing it for 5 minutes.

Texture:One of the benefits of the texture of the powder is that it zaps up the oiliness that I have in my t-zone. It also blurred out the unflattering view of larger pores. It lasted for an average period. I had to reapply after approximately 3 a 4 hours (the t-zones).

Coverage:The coverage is rather light. I would not wear this as a foundation product on its own, because it does not have the strenght to cancel out my irregularities. Still, as a blotting powder for an combined skin and to reduce the redness of the nose it is quite efficient. Thus, it is absolutely suitable to carry around.

Sun protective powers:I am not quite sure yet, because the feeble winter rays have not been sufficient enough to make a judgement. However, I would not take the chance to use a foundation alone as a sun protector, even if it says it really has a high protection. I prefer to use a real sunblock underneath and still have some extra protection from the foundation. So I cannot say that much about its UV protection.

Price:It comes quite cheap when ordering on gmarket: It only costs$10.59 AND you will get a gorgeously scented lipgloss of your choice (out of 4 colours) with it. Well, that is a better deal than I would get in the local drugstore. Still, gmarket is not cheap with shipping, so it only makes a good deal when you already have some things to order from gmarket, and you can add this as an extra.

Overall:It is absolutely a good deal when you have NC 25 kind of undertone, or lighter when you pick colour no 21. It is efficient enough to blot the oiliness away, and it is absolutely not irritating. The downside is that you order it by gmarket, which can be a bit of a hassle for some.

Friday, 19 February 2010

This has been a busy week at the office. I have been typing so many documents that I would almost neglect the blog. My boss had a lot of orders that had to be dealt with this week, so I helped her with the extra work. I cannot bear to see the copymachine or the printer for the weekend right now...LOL

Working overtime can be helpful because you will earn a bit more. So I have been purchasing a lipstick this week. The glamourous Chanel Allure lipstick in Comedia.

Comedia is a more natural colour of the Allure line. Chanel Allure has some stronger colours that look absolutely stunning. I chose the Comedia colour for its pink colour with a cool tone in it.

Chanel absolutely knows how to make the lipstick look luxurious...the Chanel logo in the lipstick itself just wispers elegance.

The colour is a beautiful pink with a rose, cool undertone. It looks bright on my pale complexion, but it merges into a delicate and subtle hint of pink on the mouth.

My Chanel Comedia...such a beautiful new acquisition in my arsenal of lipsticks!

Thursday, 18 February 2010

After my semi-complaining post of yesterday I would like to make a review of a product that I actually appreciate ;P

During one of my virtual shopping sessions on Sasa.com I found a brand that has been quite recognized among the sasa.com-shoppers, and I have seen some positive reviews on the blogosphere as well: Beautymate or 美肌之誌.

I really have an affinity for names and the way brands name their products, so I was drawn to the lovely concoction of words by this brand beauty-and-mate, a beautiful friendship, so to say. Beautymate is a Tawainese brands, and I noticed that the Taiwanese products I used often use names with Beauty in them (for example Kevin Beautymaker, BeautyDIY or Beautyeasy).

So far, I have been really enthousiastic about Kevin Beautymaker and the BeautyDIYproducts I used, so I was willing to take the plunge and buy a couple of masks from BeautyMate.

Sasa listed a couple of newer kind of masks in their listing (I always check out the 'what's new' section on sasa)). They had not been reviewed yet, but that does not stop me from buying it...it only makes me more curious how they will be.

Ok, this is a beautiful decorated box with Chinese letters. What does sasa has to say about it:

Full of natural vitamin C, the mask can leave skin white and luminous, adjusting skin texture and balancing sebum secretion. The polyphenos of cherry prevent overabundance of melanin, while liquorice and peony blossom extract soothe allergic skin. The hyaluronic acid contained can lock in moisture, keeping the skin hydrated and bright.

It soothes, purifies and refines skin, and also enhances moisture retaining ability.

I know a bit of the propieties of ingredients, thus I was really enthousiastic of the brightening ingredients in it. Licorice has been claimed as a wonderful brightening and soothing ingredient (article here, here and here).

And my skin has been suffering during the harsh winter that suddenly popped up in the North of Europe, so I sure need some soothing and brightening!

a bright and cheery cherry blossom coloured packaging

The back of the package has English description and ingredients

What were the other ingredients included:

I was happy to know that there were no parabens included. I am not really against parabens, but I prefer not to have them in my skincare. The press has been a bit too negative about parabens in skincare, so I would not like to take my chance.

Moreover, I have really sensitive skin, and I think it reacts against parabens as well (althought I am not sure because it is extremely difficult to find out what exactly causes a certain allergy/reaction).

I am not going to discuss all ingredients into detail, because I do not have that much knowledge about all ingredients. And it would bore some of my readers to death.

So, did it perform up to its claims???

Well, the functions described at the sachet are really some multitaskers for a mask. I mean, I want to have it all, but can a mask really be ánd soothing, ánd purifying, ánd refining, ánd hydrating???

out of the sachet: the masks is protected by a plastic (perforated) sheet

So far, and I have been trying the mask twice, it has been really a positive and therapeutic experience.

My most important issue is that my skincare should never irritate me. As I always mention, my skin is really sensitive. I could target all kinds of elements in my skin, for example large pores or wrinkles, but my first aim is a product that does not make my skin oversensitive.

After that, it should have some elements in it that helps my skin to improve, ofcourse. I do not want to use something that does not irritate me, but is not doing anything beneficial either.

the mask is quite large

So, the big plus is that it does not irritate me. The sheet itself is a wonderful cloath that is soft enough for a sensitive skin. I have tried some sheets that irritated me when on, even though the liquid in the sheet was really good and effective.

The liquid in the sheet is really what it claims to be: soothing. It also had a slight tightening on my large pores, but not too much that it would irritate me or leaves my skin really taut and unconfortable. Just enough to feel 'lifted'.

I also love the scent: Normally, I would steer away from anything scented. So it was a surprise that I actually found the scent to be therapeutic and lovely. It is a Cherry blossom-esque scent. Although it is a bit artificial and a bit sweetened compared to actual Cherry blossom scent, it is really refreshing in a fruity floral kind of manner.

I cannot really say too much about the brightening effect, as I have only used it twice. However, some of my blotches looked a bit more diminished afterwards. It might have to do with the anti-redness proprieties of the licorice. Anyway, anything that tones down my irregularities is a positive thing in my book!

The liquid of the mask is really nice and thin enough for the skin. After I removed the sheet, some liquid remained on my skin, but it really penetrated the skin after a light massage. Some sheet masks can leave the skin sticky afterward, but this liquid did not leave my skin so sticky (just a tiny bit in a pleasant manner).

The price is really good as well. sasa charges you $6.40 for 7 masks, which is less than $1 per masks. That is a whole lot cheaper than some SKII masks (who charges approximately $10 per sheet, Yikes).

Overall, I really enjoy this mask and I hope my skin will continue to like it.

Wednesday, 17 February 2010

The title is a bit of a euphonism, but I want to keep it a bit more positive than to say that these products were utterly useless, because they might work for some people.

My first 'meh'-moment was a powdered bath product from Bison. This product has been based on the powdered Japanese bath products that are sold from various Japanese brands. Lotuspalace has been raving aboutKracie Tabinoyado bath powders, and honestly, I have tried one sachet of those (thanks to a freebie from Lotuspalace) and those were excellent!

I am a bit of a cheapskate every now and then, so I wanted to purchase the budget version before splurging on Kracie Tabinoyado. Or, it is not really budget but it was available by one package.

The Bison Finland spa relax Lemon Grass & Herb was not really my thing. It smelled like Lysol (or any other superartificial lemon scent that you can get from old-school household cleansing products) for 30 seconds, and then it dissolved into a superlight scent.

The sauna effect was not present. As you can see on the package, the person is surrounded by steam. Ofcourse, it is mentioned to create a similar experience as a Finnish sauna.

Ingredients in Japanese for Japanese readers

Well, I have never been into a Finnish sauna so I have absolutely no personal experience. However, I am quite sure that the effect of the bath powder was nothing like a Finnish sauna (use of steam, heat, cleansing herbs, etc).

A yellowish powder for the bath

I did see a colour change in the water, as it turned into a yellowish colour. However, I did not experience anything like the Kracie Tabinoyado sachet, which made the water really coloured and fun with a strong but pleasant scent.

Ofcourse, my opinion is only personal, as Lotuspalace has been enthousiastic about Bison Finland Relax Spa's. The rates on sasa.com are really positive as well, so I might be a bit spoiled ;p

From a Japanese bathing product back to the American cosmetics...more specifically E.L.F studio range.

It would not be a surprise to know that I wear makeup every now and then (why would I blog about it so fanatically, right?). And if you wear makeup, you will use brushes too. Although a large amount of makeup products are really easy to apply by hands as well, I still like to use my brushes for precision and for hygienic reasons.

And if I like the brushes because they are hygienic, then they should stay hygienic as well. I wash my brushes often because why would I contaminate my own skin with old, accumulated bacteria (eww). My cosmetic tools should be as clean as possible.

So when I saw the E.L.F. Daily Brush Cleanser on the E.L.F. site (uk), I thought I would hit the jackpot. Fantastic, a product that cleanses and has anti-bacterial effects!!!

Althought the product is quite effective in cleansing brushes, it was actually more time-consuming to clean with the spray than with the normal shampoo-and-rinse-method.

So the method of cleansing with this spray is too labourous:

You first have to spray it on and distribute it over the entire brush, reaching all the hairs.

You have to get a paper or normal towel to remove the spray and the remains of the makeup

Not all makeup is removed after this process

The brush is still quite moist and wet after this process!!! Actually, the brush has to dry for at least a day to get dry!!!

which is just as much time as drying my brushes when washing them the standard way

The scent is absolutely too poignant...it lingers for a couple of hours in the room when using it.

The same scent will be there when you will use the brush (when finally dry)...

Conclusion: if it would had an instant-dry effect, I would find it to be very useful. However, when I have to wait as long for it compared to the ordinary method, I would certainly prefer the normal method, which is better on hygienic fronts as well

So it is not really an alternative to the normal cleansing method.

I am not the only one who is 'meh' about it. The reviews on makeupalley are not really raving as well.

Remember, these are just opinions. I try to be as honest as possible on my blog, so when I am positive about something, I actually like it and it works for me (at that moment).

Saturday, 13 February 2010

What a lovely and well-timed day to receive my gmarket haul again: The day before Valentine and Chinese New Year!!!

So, what did I buy this time? I bought a variety of things: a dairy, a blusher, a compact foundation, a t-shirt and the adorable Hello Kitty hand cream from Etude House.

Yes, the adorable hand cream I coveted from Etude House.

I placed a MAC lipgloss next to it in order to show the size. It is an adorable mini size ideal for carrying around.

Etude House did not gave me any freebies, unfortunately. I probably did not buy enough from them. I am a bit dissapointed by this, because I have seen several bloggers online blogging about their Gmarket haul from etudegmark and they got TONS of freebies...

The seller is Etudegmark, item nr.1 76327913 and you can find it over here.

Some sellers do give out freebies, such as this dinky little fellow, who is a part of a couple of pens I received when buying a planner:

Don't you think he looks like the Tin man from the Wizard of Oz who got his heart? Or one of those robots from those old-school science fiction series of the 1970s.

The pens themselves really write good as well! They are not your average BiC, and they almost glide over the paper...

The diary I chose for this year is a dainty peachy colour with this adorable puppy badge.:

Woof, he is wearing a turquoise neckband:

This was listed as the C033wishing smile diary-pink, item number 131360394 from seller 박스앤캔(listed here).

Ofcourse, I am still the blush and makeup addict...thus I placed a baked blush in my cart from Prorance in M 16.

The name of the blush is a bit Korealish: "finish water glow"...I do not know how to connect this with a lovely flush on the cheeks...

I haven't tested it yet, but I am sure it will look like a lovely blush. I have seen some other colours from Prorance swatched online, and they looked so glowy without these obvious glitter particles that do not look so flattering on me.

I also needed a compact foundation for carrying around in my bag. So I chose the VOV White UV cover pact SPF 50+ in 23.

It was quite cheap (approximately $10) and it came with a free lipgloss in the colour of your choice. (the Color Song Glossing)

Sunday, 7 February 2010

Yesterday I posted a sort-of-tutorial of how to order t-shirts and other apparel on gmarket. Today I want to show you some shirts that drew my attention.

First I want to say that I will be listing t-shirts of two sellers. I am not commissioned or paid for by these sellers, because they have no idea who I am and visa versa. I just thought they have cute tshirts, and I ordered from them both without any problems so far.

I really like this sad little girl with the big hat. She is listed under the English name of Dropgirl, but I could not find her listed in the Korean list yet. Mmm, mayby I could ask gmarket on facebook for the right name.

The detail is so cute with the little embroidery on the sweatshirt:

Valentine's day is almost here, so I had to list a t-shirt with LOVE on it. I really like the way the model wears the t-shirt, with the black tulle skirt and the kick-behind shoes.

It is listed as: 셀프(보라) - the colour in the brackets is the navy colour.

I really like most of the colours of the DOPE tshirts, which are mostly pastels. The only thing is that it looks quite small for me

Look at the different colours...too bad about the small size:

The tshirts can be found in the shopping list under: 상품선택 : DOPE(민트)

Another happy and a bit of kawaii kind of tshirt, especially in the pink version: stars!

The pink one is listed as this (in the beginning of the list): ☆가오리(핑크)

If you are looking for confort and something really roomy for lounging and lazy days, look no further than this smiley hoody. The model looks like she is swamped by it

Saturday, 6 February 2010

Lately I have found a new addiction that can keeps me glued to the gmarket site. And no, it is not makeup this time, although I still enjoy it. I am completely fascinated with the t-shirt collections available on gmarket.

What attracts me to these tshirts is that they look really quirky and modern. Somewhat I was so ignorant to think of Asian fashion as always cute and kawaii, which is really nice, but not for every single day. The tshirts I spotted on gmarket, often from Korean brands such as TheDada, are trendy and fun without being sugary sweet.

Another thing that I find interesting is that they are relatively cheap, compared when you buy these on the Dutch highstreet or online at topshop.com or another British online store (who charge you between 25 euros ($30) or more for a trendy tshirt). Moreover, I have seen some designs I have not seen at the topshop site or at the highstreet...

On gmarket they are priced between $4.50 and $8.

How is their quality?Well, until now I think they are of a adequate quality. Perhaps it depends on the brand of tshirt, but the one I bought has been thin enough for being a tshirt (LOL, if that makes sense) but thick enough for sturdiness. I washed it twice already, and it is still looking quite new.

I am a bit weird, because I bought a tshirt with a Dutch text on it...Why would I buy a tshirt from a Korean seller with a Dutch text on it? Honestly, Dutch language is not so hot in the country where they speak it. And assumingly, people from other countries will find it sounding 'exotic' or something...I do not know.

So, this tshirt says that it is a particular kind of paint for painting walls...

Size:

I think it is ok to say that I am bigger than the average Korean girl. Most of the shirts are sold in one size. On the Korean models the tshirts always look roomy, which translate on my body as a fit that is still loose, but fitted enough to see the shape of my curves. Again, look how the tshirts is draped around the model: if it is skintight, it will probably be a European size S. If they are draped loosely, they will be suitable for a L size.

This one is not roomy at all...I do not think I would fit a tshirt like this:

How to order if you do not speak/write Korean:

I have to admit that ordering tshirts from gmarket are really complicated. The list of tshirt in one listing can be as long as 200 different kinds, in 5 different colours each!!! And now, how to pick the one you want?

One of my first techniques has been writing down the Korean characters corresponding with the Tshirt. I compare these with the long long list from choices you can make, and often I get a corresponding word.

It is an excellent way to learn a new language too, I noticed. I am already starting to recognize some Korean characters!!!

Only, the colours are often not written down. I have already accumulated a list of colours in Korean:

The second thing, more easily, is to befriend gmarket on facebook (here)! You can post on their wall placing a link of the seller and the item you would like to have, and they respond quickly. For example, this was my post...

And yes, I added the tshirt to my cart for a future purchase. I am still waiting for the gmarket order I ordered a couple of days ago.

Shopping tshirts can keep you busy for quite a long time, so beware if you are addiction-prone and do not want to spend too much time staying glued behind the computer.... ;P